Two 18-hole courses at the newly named Costa Ragusa Golf are being transformed by NCM Network
The first of two 18-hole golf courses in Sicily, Italy, that closed in 2020 is to reopen in spring 2027 as part of a relaunched facility called Costa Ragusa Golf.
Located in Sicily’s historic south-east region, near the hilltop city of Ragusa, a Unesco World Heritage Site, the former Donnafugata Golf Resort & Spa originally opened in 2009. A short drive away was the Links course, a design by Franco Piras, who also helped Gary Player Design on the Parkland layout, which hosted the 2011 Sicilian Open.
Following the 2018 bankruptcy of company that owned the resort, the courses closed in 2020 and lay abandoned and unmaintained until December 2025, when investment company Arrow Global acquired the resort and golf courses through a fund managed by its Italian asset management company, Sagitta SGR.
Arrow, in partnership with Italian hospitality company Mangia’s, is underway with a redevelopment of the hotel and facilities. This includes the refurbishment of over 200 rooms and private villas with the aim of creating a five-star destination. The resort had a soft opening in June 2026 and has been renamed Mangia’s Costa Ragusa Borgo.
To transform the overgrown golf courses, now part of Costa Ragusa Golf, Arrow and Portuguese golf course operator Details – which will be responsible for the day-to-day management and development of the 36-hole venue – have brought in the design firms of Spanish golf legends José María Olazábal and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
The masterplan for the revamped Castle course (formerly Parkland) … (Image: NCM Network)
… and the plan for the Queens course, which used to be called Links (Image: NCM Network)
NCM Network, led by Matthias Nemes and Franco G. Bianchi, is running the projects, with Anton Ortner working alongside Olazábal on the Parkland course (which will become known as the Castle course), while Snorri Vilhjalmsson works with Jiménez on the Queens (formerly Links). The NCM designers are leaning on Piras’s knowledge of the site, with the original designer involved as a consultant. The project is also NCM’s first design-build, with project director Jack Lund overseeing construction.
“Beyond their remarkable careers, both José and Miguel bring distinct personalities and design philosophies that perfectly complement the character of these two courses,” said Nuno Sepulveda, co-CEO at Details. “José’s strategic approach and deep understanding of tournament golf make him ideally suited to shaping the Castle course into a world-class layout, while Miguel’s creativity and passion for enjoyment and playability will ensure the Queens course delivers a welcoming and engaging experience for golfers of all abilities.”
Vilhjalmsson and Ortner told GCA on a visit to the site in June 2026: “This is the first project where we are leading the construction side of things, and while there are challenges, it has been a great experience so far to transform these overgrown courses and bringing them back to life.”
Construction is underway, as seen on the par-three third on the Castle course (Photo: GCA)
“I like the routing,” said Olazábal. “From tee to green, it is a good layout. Our work is to improve it and make it more playable and interesting. With this project being on what was an existing course, we have had to adapt our approach a little bit than our usual newbuilds. We’re opening up different views, changing the surrounds of greens, the bunkering and shaping.”
Ortner added: “On the back nine, the terrain changes and there is a lot of movement on holes eleven through to fifteen. The melody of the symphony we will be able to create on those holes is amazing. It’s going to be quite an experience.”
Olazábal, Ortner and Vilhjalmsson say that both courses will feel familiar to those that have played the old Parkland and Links courses given the routings remain the same, but they will also feel different as they completely change the presentation of the course’s features and undertake landscape work.
José María Olazábal and NCM Network’s Matthias Nemes on site at Costa Ragusa Golf (Photo: GCA)
“There are a couple of tee shots on the Castle that are a little blind and we’re moving some dirt from the landing areas so you can see them more easily and also have a clearer view of the greens and bunkers,” said Olazábal. “There will be more runoffs around greens, and the bunkering will be closer to the putting surfaces too, making them more demanding.”
Greens will be larger than they were previously, feature new contouring and 007XL bentgrass. For tees, fairways and rough, the project team have selected Tahoma 31 bermuda,
The two-time Masters champion wants his course to challenge the good players but also be fun for those that don’t have a low handicap. The Castle course will play around 7,200 yards (6,592 metres) while the Queens will be 6,676 yards (6,105 metres). “The Castle will be golf at a more competitive level,” he said. “However, it will be playable for the average player if they choose the right spot from our freeform tees. You won’t see water carries… and there will always be a route for the high handicap golfer so they can have an enjoyable experience. The Queens layout is going to be more of a resort course and not as long as the Castle. The idea is to fulfil the needs of the people coming here to play golf – giving them both types of experiences.”
A visualisation of the first hole on the Queens course (Image: NCM Network)
Those freeform, long, ribbon tees will blend into the fairway and are designed to ensure the layout can accommodate all standards of golfers.
“The sixteenth hole is special because it’s the longest par five on the Castle at around 540 metres [590 yards],” said Ortner. “Here, you’ll see a big difference between the forward and back tees, there’s a gap of around 100 metres.”
Ortner also mentions that the long grasses found along most of the fairways at Costa Ragusa Golf frame holes elegantly and form part of the project’s sustainable measures, which include reduced maintained turf areas, the preservation of native vegetation, waste reduction and energy-efficient course maintenance.
“What I really love about this job is when you go and see the property before everything starts and you enter the process of imagining the golf course, the routing and how to use the elements that the land provides you,” said Olazábal. “When you see the evolution from a rugged landscape to the detailed shaping, that whole process is beautiful. And when the project is finished, that is a great moment, but it is also one where you’re in a period of waiting to hear everyone’s feedback. That’s an interesting few months!”
The Queens course is expected to open in April 2027, with the Castle following in 2028. A nine-hole par-three layout, which was originally planned but never built, will also be completed in 2027.
Holes to look out for when the courses reopen:
Castle course
Hole five | par four
This hole captures the course’s risk-and-reward philosophy with longer hitters tempted into attacking and leaving a short approach at a favourable angle. A more conservative strategy leaves players with a precise approach into a well defended green.
Hole sixteen | par five
Tee shots need to avoid water and bunkers, while the second shot demands strategic judgement as there is a deceptively placed bunker in the approach area. The challenge concludes at a compact green framed by bold bunkering on both sides.
Hole seventeen | par four
The par-four seventeenth is enclosed by native rough and mature trees. At the landing area there are bunkers on the right and a lake on the left. The green has intricate contours and a back-left pin would see players flirt with water beside the green.
Queens course
Hole eight | par four
This short par four plays downhill towards a peninsula green where golfers must choose between a safer route down the left or a more aggressive line over native rough to gain a better angle of approach. Beautifully framed by water, it will be one of the most exciting and memorable holes on the course.
Hole fourteen | par four
This hole occupies one of the most dramatic settings on the property with the par four wrapping around a lake.
Hole fifteen | par three
The first thing golfers will notice on the par-three fifteenth is the historic Sicilian stone wall near the green. Combined with bold bunkering and a spectacular setting, this hole fits in very well with the landscape of Sicily.